It’s all about the Union as Edinburgh elects new council

Resurgent Tories run SNP close 
The Local Government Election results for Edinburgh’s 17 wards were announced at Meadowbank Sports Centre yesterday following the 4 May vote. The SNP is now the biggest party – but only just. Campaigning on the Indyref2 issue, Conservative and Unionists ran the SNP very close, with the outcome of the election hanging in the balance and going down to the declaration of the final ward result.

Continue reading It’s all about the Union as Edinburgh elects new council

‘One janitor, one school … and keep our cleaners’ – UNISON Edinburgh in pre-election appeal

UNISON’s Edinburgh branch, the union representing council staff, fears new council proposals will mean Edinburgh’s schools will no longer have their own janitor and cleaning hours will be cut. The union is asking voters to challenge candidates to oppose the cuts in the run-up to Thursday’s local elections. Continue reading ‘One janitor, one school … and keep our cleaners’ – UNISON Edinburgh in pre-election appeal

STV explores Sscotland’s past in new series of People’s History Show

 Edinburgh featured in STV’s People’s History Show

31 March 8pm on STV

Edinburgh, Shetland, Dundee, Hamilton, New Lanark, Glasgow and the Borders will feature in a new series of STV’s The People’s History Show, which explores the tales of Scotland’s past in six brand new episodes.

Fronted by presenter and journalist Sarah Mack and historian and adventurer Ashley Cowie, the series looks back in time to discover the places and people that make up Scotland’s history, with Sarah and Ashley travelling from the Borders in the south to Shetland in the north.

The new series, which started on Friday, features some of the most fascinating events in Scottish history, including the Shetland Bus, the special WW2 operation that linked Shetland to Germany occupied Norway; the Great Fire of Glasgow in 1652; the historical naval base Scapa Flow; the Udston mining disaster in Hamilton; the Scots who fought in the Spanish Civil War and Dundee aviation pioneer Preston Watson.

Presenter Ashley Cowie said: “The history of Scotland is found not only in books, but in the stories and folklore of its people. This series is extra special to me as we travelled the length of Scotland and filmed some great characters in my home county of Caithness, giving the show a truly nationwide appeal.”

Sarah Mack said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity to work on a series that never ceases to amaze me with the weird, wonderful and sometimes gruesome history it explores. No matter where you live in this great country we want to encourage you to scratch the surface and take a closer look because you never know what tales and adventures you might unearth right on your doorstep.” 

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “This new series is a must-see for anyone with an interest in Scotland’s history, with Ashley and Sarah travelling all over Scotland to delve into some of the most remarkable stories of our past.”

The series will also be available to watch live or for catch-up on the STV Player.

City Vision 2050: the story so far

Edinburgh 2050: ‘a place without poverty or barriers to achievement’

Edinburgh should be a city full of opportunity and innovation with no barriers to achievement, according to the initial findings of a city-wide campaign. Analysis of 5,700 views submitted so far towards the ‘2050 Edinburgh City Vision’ has been published today.

Continue reading City Vision 2050: the story so far

Jobs boost for capital as tourism booms

The number of people working in tourism in Edinburgh has increased by 12% in one year, new figures show – with Scotland as a whole seeing an increase of 11%. The statistics produced by Visit Scotland show that tourism supports 34,600 jobs in Edinburgh, 11% of total jobs in the area. Continue reading Jobs boost for capital as tourism booms